Torque converter with centered turbine

Abstract

A torque converter for connecting to an input shaft of a transmission including a housing, a turbine housed in the housing, a turbine hub connected to the turbine, the input shaft of the transmission being located within the turbine hub, a piston plate connected to the housing so as to be radially fixed with respect to the housing, and a bushing connected to the piston plate and the turbine hub, the piston plate via the bushing and the turbine hub centering the turbine and the input shaft of the transmission. The bushing may have a radial flange.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A torque converter for connecting to an input shaft of a transmission comprising:
 a housing; 
 a turbine housed in the housing; 
 a turbine hub connected to the turbine, the input shaft of the transmission being located within the turbine hub; 
 a piston plate; 
 a connector extending axially from the piston plate to the housing, away from the turbine, so as to radially fix the piston plate with respect to the housing; and 
 a bushing connected to the piston plate and the turbine hub, each of the turbine hub, the piston plate and the bushing including a cross-section having an L-shaped portion, all of the L-shaped portions being aligned with each other and facing the same direction, the L-shaped portion of the piston plate centering the turbine and the input shaft of the transmission, through the L-shaped portion of the bushing and the L-shaped portion of the turbine hub, the L-shaped portion of the bushing being formed of a radial flange and an axial flange, both the radial flange and the axial flange contacting the turbine hub. 
 
     
     
       2. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the connector is a leaf spring connection. 
     
     
       3. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bushing fits in a corner of the turbine hub. 
     
     
       4. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bushing is insertable onto the piston plate after the piston plate is connected to the housing. 
     
     
       5. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein axial flange of the bushing includes an inner radial surface defining a bore, the inner radial surface extending axially away from the radial flange toward the housing. 
     
     
       6. A torque converter for connecting to an input shaft of a transmission comprising:
 a housing; 
 a turbine housed in the housing; 
 a turbine hub connected to the turbine, the input shaft of the transmission being located within the turbine hub; 
 a piston plate connected to the housing; 
 a connector extending axially from the piston plate to the housing, away from the turbine, so as to radially fix the piston plate with respect to the housing; and 
 a bushing having a radial flange and an axial flange forming an L-shaped portion, the bushing connected to the piston plate and the turbine hub, the bushing being connected to an end of the piston plate such that the bushing stops the end of the piston plate from axially moving away from the housing and toward the turbine, both the radial flange and the axial flange of the bushing contacting the turbine hub. 
 
     
     
       7. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein the bushing fits in a corner of the turbine hub. 
     
     
       8. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein an end of the piston plate connected to the bushing has an L shape. 
     
     
       9. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein the axial flange of the bushing includes an inner radial surface defining a bore, the inner radial surface extending axially away from the radial flange toward the housing and away from the turbine. 
     
     
       10. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein the connector is a leaf spring. 
     
     
       11. A torque converter for connecting to an input shaft of a transmission comprising:
 a housing; 
 a turbine housed in the housing; 
 a turbine hub connected to the turbine, the input shaft of the transmission being located within the turbine hub; 
 a piston plate connected to the housing so as to be radially fixed with respect to the housing; 
 a connector extending axially from the piston plate to the housing, away from the turbine, so as to radially fix the piston plate with respect to the housing; and 
 a bushing including a radial flange and an axial flange forming an L-shaped portion, the piston plate and bushing being configured such that the bushing is connectable to the piston plate after piston plate is connected to the housing such that the piston plate centers the bushing and the bushing centers the turbine and the input shaft of the transmission after being connected to the piston plate, the radial flange contacting a radially extending portion of the piston plate, both the radial flange and the axial flange of the bushing contacting the turbine hub. 
 
     
     
       12. The torque converter as recited in  claim 11  wherein an end of the piston plate connected to the bushing has an L shape and an outside corner of the L shape of the piston plate fits directly against an inside corner of the L shape of the bushing.